MASTERMIND | spencer reid

007: quarantined in a bad dream.

When the door smacked shut behind them, Lucy returned her gaze to Penelope. She threw her hands out in perplexity. "What's going on? Code purple, which one is that again?" She asked, leaning against the desk.

"Code purple is set off in the instance that a superior finds out that we are. . .fraternising with fellow Bureau employees," Penelope panted as she spoke so rapidly, and Lucy found it difficult just to keep up. "Granted, we always thought it would be you and Reid who. . .smooshed booties, but—"

"Okay, wow, lower your voice," Lucy interrupted. "Someone might hear."

"Unless he can hear me from Connecticut, you're in the clear," Penelope emphasised, clearly agitated. For clarity, Spencer and Hotch were travelling to Connecticut to do a custodial interview with a serial killer, Chester Hardwick, set to be executed in the next week, and, yes, it was unlikely Spencer could hear all the way from there.

Lucy sighed in understanding, motioning a hand for Penelope to continue. "Right. So, you were fraternising with Kevin, I'm assuming—"

"It was Rossi!"

Lucy blinked. "You were fraternising with. . .Rossi?" She knew this was preposterous, and not at all true, but she found the idea amusing all the same. "I figured he was a bit out of your age range, but—"

"Oh, you know how I love your witty humour, but, please. I'm being serious here," Penelope pleaded, and Lucy held her hands up in surrender. When she was certain the two were on the same level of understanding, she continued, "so, I was in the middle of a post-coital shower with Kevin, and Rossi just. . .knocks and my door and invites himself in. And then Kevin comes out, all wet and drippy and naked and—God! This is bad."

Lucy pondered. "You know, it's probably not as bad as you think. Pretty sure those rules were put in place because of him. He has a reputation for being promiscuous."

"So, you think he won't tell?" Penelope asked, desperation lacing her voice, eyes wide in worry.

"No," Lucy chuckled at the entire situation. "Besides, who would he tell? The only person here he can stand is Hotch, and, like we already stated, he's in Connecticut." Her words were an overstatement. Genuinely, she could see Rossi's hard shell begin to crack with regards to his feelings towards the team (he wasn't much for team spirit and camaraderie, if you couldn't tell). But she needed to get her point across.

Penelope huffed,"yeah, but not forever." Her shoulders relaxed, and she nodded her head decidedly. "Okay, I guess he won't tell. Hopefully."

"Now, come on. Let's see what we'll be dealing with this week," Lucy said, wrapping her arm around Penelope's shoulder and guiding her out into the bullpen. As they walked, her eyebrows furrowed momentarily, realising she forgot to ask a rather significant question. "Wait, why was Rossi at your place anyway?"

Penelope pursed her lips in a manner that stated she really wanted to say, but must refrain from doing so. "I can't say," she said, shaking her head as if she expected Lucy to start to beg.

"This have anything to do with a twenty year old double murder?"

Penelope's head tilted sidewards. "How did you—?"

Lucy smiled tightly, shaking her head. "It doesn't matter," she said.

When the two entered the bullpen, it was devoid of any of their team members, which was unusual, and sparked a curiousness in Lucy. Penelope frowned, and pegged the question, "where are they?"

It was then she noticed three moving figures between the gaps in the blinds of Rossi's office. Thank God Rossi isn't here, Lucy thought. He had caught them rummaging in his office before, and that already made for an awkward atmosphere. No need for a redo.